Craft Attic Resources

Valentine's Day Was Fun

2012-02-15T10:03:00.001-05:00

I am one of those fortunate crochet lovers who have a supportive husband. Along with a Jazz brunch on Sunday, dinner at one of our favorite restaurants last night, he did not forget my crochet habit.

He braved Barnes and Noble to pick up The Complete Book of Crochet Stitch Designs: 500 Classic & Original Patterns knowing I've been going online to try to figure out ways to make the math work for patterns that are not quite the right size for my needs. I had no idea this was on his radar.

Then he headed off to shop at Crochet Village where he proceeded to pick up a few of the items on my wish list from there. I got the Halloween Goblins set, which will be perfect for my Halloween box. My favorite pattern in this set is the boy in the ghost costume with the high top sneakers. There is something about this pattern that reminds me of the costumes in It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and I really want to make it for next year's box. The Dracula and the bat are adorable as well and I need multiple projects to make sure there is enough for all the kids.

He also picked up North Pole Residents from Crochet Village. While I fell in love with the pattern for the Rudolph and Polar Bear pattern, I have been informed DH expects a penguin for his troubles.

Lastly, I got their Christmas Card Gift Holder Set 2. What I love about these sets is they make adorable ami gift hard holders, but they also make great smaller stuffed animals for gifts or donation packages. They can easily be made without the gift bags. I asked DH how he picked between the three gift holder sets and sure enough, it was the penguin. I will have to make the little guy for his office next year. I still owe him a Candy Kiss and a Leprechaun for next month.

While the gifts are wonderful and I am already anticipating getting started on these fun projects, what is such a gift is that he supports what I do and why I do it.

Gingerbread Tissue Box

2012-02-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was my first attempt at a tissue box and I was pleased with it. I learned a good deal and will know more for my next effort. I found the pattern in a library book Annie's Favorite Christmas Projects. I have been searching for this book for a while to add to my collection. I learned the pattern is also available in Issue 90 (Nov-Dec 1997) of Annie's Crochet Newsletter. Sadly, that is one of the ones I still have to collect.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Gingerbread Girl

2012-02-13T09:05:00.001-05:00

I decided to have a theme for the extras I included in my last swap and I was amazed at how many wonderful patterns are available for gingerbread items. This gingerbread girl was made adapting a free pattern found here. I changed the color of the dress and used a bow pattern found from free Hello Kitty Patterns.

This pattern works up quickly and is an adorable decoration or Christmas ornament.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Gingerbread Scarf

2012-02-10T11:17:00.001-05:00

I was looking for some creative ideas to add to a swap box and had settled on gingerbread since my partner collected gingerbread items. I thought I was finished when I came across a free pattern for a child's gingerbread boy scarf. I could not resist. I adjusted my hook size to get it to the width I wanted and then added rows to the body to get it to the scarf length I wanted and I had my gingerbread man scarf.

What I love about this pattern is you can make it into just about any kind of creature you want. With the head and legs established, you can add ears and any other character traits to make create a variety of scarves for children or adults. I plan to experiment with this idea for Christmas next year.

Grandma's House Finger Puppet

2012-02-08T09:48:00.000-05:00

I finished the second puppet from Red Riding Hood Fairytale Finger Puppet set. I still have the wolf dressed as Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood to go. For fun I think I am going to add the wolf from The Three Little Pigs Pattern to add more story telling options. If I use grey for both they will match. It also provides more options for the children to create their own stories later. There will be lots of extra wolves by the time I'm done making the puppets. Perhaps enough to retell the The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig if they want to try something different.

I've been working on items for swap packages so this project has taken a back seat. However the puppets work up quickly so I am sure I will have no problem finishing the project in time for my Easter deadline. Once my swap packages are received I can start posting more about those projects as well.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Thankful for Thoughtfulness

2012-02-07T08:56:00.001-05:00

I am always touched by the thoughtfulness of the members at Crochetville. The wish lists have changed to quarterly offerings and I have had some very wonderful fairy godmothers grant some of my wishes. While I said my thank you comments on Crochetville I also wanted to take time here to again comment on the generosity of the members.

I want to thank all of them for making me feel so special.

Through Ravelry I got a Red Riding Hood/Granny pattern, a Leprechaun, and a ducky pattern that I plan on posting about in the future. Another thoughtful fairy godmother made me dishcloths for Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas.

I already have plans of my own to play fairy godmother, which is all part of the fun.

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Pteranodon

2012-02-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

This is the second Pteranodon is I finished from Planet June's Dinosaurs Set 2. I donated the first one to charity. This one is for a gift.

What was unique about this project is that it has been my travel project. I only work on it when I have appointments or other times that require waiting. While I could have finished it ages ago, if I had continued to work on it when I came home, the size of the project made it perfect for those long waits when you need something to occupy your time.

I have already put red yarn in my bag to start another one for a charity project. I need to complete two more for my charity goals and then I will put a new project in my travel bag.

I used Caron One Pound yarn and safety eyes to complete this project.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Tree Finger Puppets

2012-02-02T09:05:00.001-05:00

I started on the Red Riding Hood Fairytale Finger Puppet set by making the trees.

I like finger making finger puppets as gifts for kids for a variety of reasons. One they are great for encouraging kids to retell stories when you make them in connection with a story like Red Riding Hood. However, they also can help get kids to start creating their own stories when you have puppets that can mix, match and inspire kids to create new stories. I love the way this designer has added backgrounds to her puppet sets. These set pieces encourage the retelling of this story, but also can be used for other stories, or as the basis for new stories, the child creates.

Another reason for finger puppets is they transport easily. They fit into a pocket or purse and are great when parents need something to keep kids entertained, but do not have a good deal of space to carry toys or for them to play with toys. I like to make finger puppets to donate to hospital charities because they are good for patients who often have long waits in the hospital or in doctor's offices or for their siblings who often are along for the trip.

Lastly, I like them because they are a good break from longer projects. They work up quickly and can be a great addition to a gift box or a last minute present or donation when you need something quick.

I hope to get started on Granny's house today.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Shamrock Crochet Dishcloth

2012-02-01T06:00:00.012-05:00

I read a blog post a DLY's Hooks and Yarn where she suggested using her free 4-Hearts Squares as a Shamrock Dishcloth pattern. Since I was looking for some St. Patrick's day themed items for my house, I decided to take up the challenge.

The pattern worked up quickly, I ended up using a K hook instead of a J as suggested and added and extra round of green to make the dishcloth a bit larger.

I used Bernat Handicrafter Cotton and Lily Sugar n'Cream to complete this project.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Leprechaun Toilet Paper Topper

2012-01-31T06:00:00.005-05:00

I have been in holiday crochet mode and finally decided to make something for our house. I saw the holiday toilet paper toppers at Crochet Village while shopping for My Silly Valentine and decided to purchase Tweedle Dee Leprechaun TP Topper and two others I will hopefully complete and blog about later.

This guy worked up quickly and the surprised me. I though the beard that would be the challenge. It used a loop stitch I was not familiar with and I was working on it while trying to help someone brainstorm some project ideas. Not the best time for a learning experience. The beard actually worked out fine. In fact, the only challenge I found were the feet. For some reason I struggled to understand the directions for the feet, so I reworked the directions for one of her other pieces and made it work.

I used Caron One Pounder and Red Heart Super Saver and some Wintuck I picked up at a Church sale. It has been wonderful to complete projects from my stash.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Valentine Heart Crochet Cookies

2012-01-30T09:20:00.001-05:00

As promised I finished the Valentine Cookies from Crochet Village's My Silly Valentine Patterns last week and I posted them today. The pattern worked up quickly. It allows for lots of individualization in terms of frosting color and decorations. I went for simple and basic, as I need the box to be ready to mail this week.

This is a great stash busting project for those little balls of yarn you have around. I used up Caron One Pounder and Red Heart Super Saver yarn.

These cookies are being added to play kitchen food I have sent along on other occasions. I thought holiday cookies might add some fun to the play food options.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Hugging Hearts

2012-01-27T06:00:00.025-05:00

Hugging Hearts is the second project from Crochet Village's My Silly Valentine Patterns I finished. As I mentioned in the Crochet Chocolate Kiss post, I purchased this set shortly after Christmas to have some new items to make for the Valentine's box I am sending out. This couple was a perfect match.

The heart pair worked up quickly using scraps of Caron One Pounder and Red Heart Super Saver yarn. These would be cute for a bridal shower, too.

My last task before the box is ready is to make the crochet cookies from the pattern.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Chocolate Valentine Kiss

2012-01-26T10:12:00.001-05:00

I have been off working on swap and Valentine's projects so I have not had much time to post. I finished my swap projects. However, I cannot post pictures until my partner receives the box. Therefore, I will post my Valentine's projects as I finish them.

This is the Chocolate Kiss from Crochet Village's My Silly Valentine Patterns. I purchased the patterns shortly after Christmas when I saw they had released a special holiday pattern and decided I would get the set ready for my Valentine's package. Just to be clear I changed the color pattern as I wanted a holiday themed Kiss. The pattern has the traditional grey colors. I also decided on the striped legs, the pattern is a solid color. That is one of the great things about these patterns is you can easily adapt them to your needs without a great deal of effort. They are also a good use of scraps. I used up left over Caron One Pounder and Red Heart Super Saver to make this project. I have a request for a blue one and two things I need to work on for the second one are adding more stuffing and working on where to best attach the legs.

I almost have the second pattern, the Hugging Hearts completed. I will post those pictures when they are ready for their public appearance.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

When Sales and Coupons Align

2012-01-17T08:53:00.000-05:00

I am doing another swap on Crochetville and was out shopping for it over the long weekend. Swaps present unique shopping challenges. When I shop for craft items for myself, I can wait until I get the right combination of sale or coupons to get the price I want. The time limits of swaps create a challenge of getting the items I want for my swap partner at the best price I can find in the time allotted. With this challenge, I often find I have coupons for items that are sale items, thus making the coupons useless, or a previous sale has often cleaned out the items I wanted to use my coupons for leaving me with limited options. Sometimes I think the companies do plan for this when they issue their best coupons. They place certain items off limits or have them, as sale items for a price that is higher than a coupon would have made it if used. When I have time to shop, this is not an issue because I can usually find the deal and wait until I get it before purchasing. The challenge with a deadline is to find the deal in a short time allotted for the swap.

This week was different. I must have been out of their shopping cycle because I managed to get sales on some of the lower end items I needed and was able to use my 50% coupons for the higher priced items on my list, which at one point brought me to getting two items for the price of one. This means more items for my swap partner. My husband picked up one item on my list that was the last one on the shelf. I have heard that it can be challenging to find at this store so I was thrilled when he told me he found it as they have the best non-sale price for the item.

I also got lucky finding Lily Sugar & Cream brown cotton yarn at AC Moore. I had planned to order it online because I have never been able to find brown locally. Sure enough, I checked at Joann’s and Michaels while we were out and they had no brown. I am hoping because I cleaned out their supply that AC Moore will order more due to demand.

Even online, I hit sales at Knitting Warehouse and was able to use online coupons at Joann’s. It does not often happen this way, so it is important to celebrate when it does.

Millenium Falcon WIP

2012-01-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

The Millenium Falcon pattern was part of a set of three Star Wars Ship patterns my DH purchased for me. I needed the patterns for a younger family member's birthday in April. If they work out, I am thinking they would also be great donation toys.

I finished the bottom of the ship yesterday and am hoping to have the top of the ship done today. Along with the ship I am also hoping to finish the Walker pattern as well. I have patterns for the 10 Star Wars Characters that I am hoping to include in the project. Previously I have only completed Yoda. This time I am hoping to finish more characters to make the playset more interesting.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Lucky Clover Dishcloth

2012-01-12T10:29:00.003-05:00

I am determined to keep up my minimal knitting skills so I am practicing on dishcloths. I picked up Holiday Knit Dishcloths (Leisure Arts #5287) last fall and am determined to work my way through the seasons and keep up my basic knitting and have seasonal dishcloths to use in the kitchen.

I haven't decided to work on the Valentine's heart ones, since I made some Valentine's ones last year, or move on to the chick and bunny for Easter.

Free Dishcloth and Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Free Crochet and Knit Dishcloths Patterns

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

50 Ripple Stitches

2012-01-11T12:57:00.000-05:00

50 Ripple Stitches has been on my list of books to buy since Annie's Attic started showing previews of it. My DH bought me a copy of it for Christmas and I have been enjoying looking through the styles and thinking about future projects.

One reason I wanted this book was that unlike many ripple patterns this book does not chart the whole afghan, but provides you with a style of ripple and the math to use it in any type of pattern you desire. I have never been good at figuring out the math for ripples. Therefore, when a style I like is too large or too small I have never been sure what the formula is to make it smaller or larger. This book provides you with the math for each ripple pattern.

I also like the variety and style of ripple patterns. While I will likely never get to make all 50, unlike many of these types of books there were only two that I could not see myself ever wanting to make.

Valentine Dishcloth

2012-01-10T06:00:00.002-05:00

I needed a break from the Cat Afghan so I pulled out my Valentines patterns and made the Sweetheart Crochet Dishcloth to brighten up my kitchen now that all the Christmas decorations are coming down. This is one of the 365 free dishcloth patterns posted on Maggie Weldon's Best Free Crochet site. It is well worth visiting if you have not checked out her dishcloth challenge.

This is another victory for my stash busting. I had all the cotton on hand and used up some of the large Bernat Handicrafter Red I had left over from Christmas projects and some Lily's Sugar 'n Cream White for the details.

This is a pretty and quick project if you need something for a Valentine's present.

Free Dishcloth and Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Free Crochet and Knit Dishcloths Patterns

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Bag Patterns Crochet, Knit, and Loom

2012-01-09T06:00:00.007-05:00

I have been doing more exchanges that require totes or bags and finding them great gifts. I decided it would be good to start a page where I could catalog the places I found patterns so I could locate them again and share them with others. My blog makes a great bulletin board. As with my other pattern pages it will expand as I have time to update, but for now, it gives me a place to get started.

Crochet:

Cat Bag

Clustered Tote

Crochet Pattern Central Bags

Crochet Pattern Central Totes

Market Bag

Owl Bag

Owl Bag Purse

Rainbow Spikes

Ripple Bag Coats and Clark

School Tote Bag

Striped Bag

Sweet Pea Tote Bag

Waves of Color

Knit:

Crossword Bag

Knitting Pattern Central

Ripple Bag Coats and Clark

Sundance Market Bag

Loom:

Bee Bopper Tote Bag

Courier Bag Lion's Brand

Lion Brand Bag

Market Bag

Uptown Bag Lion's Brand

House Ornament

2012-01-06T09:48:00.000-05:00

This is the second ornament I completed from Amy Gaines' Woodland Christmas Ornament Pattern set. I have always loved Christmas scenes, villages, gingerbread houses, and items that create that Christmas picture. This was one of the patterns that attracted me to the set. I loved the snow on the roof and the little details that she added.

As part of my stash busting goal for 2012 I did use Red Heart Super Saver and Caron One Pounder for this project instead of the suggested Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice. The only place I really think it made a difference might have been the wreath. The fuzzier Vanna's may have made a better wreath than the Red Heart I substituted.

I am proceeding with my cat afghan and am hoping to have it finished soon. While I want to continue making Christmas ornaments to reach my goal for 2012, I am going to have to turn to Valentine's Day and St. Patrick’s Day projects, soon.

If you arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please check out the following pages:

Free Knit and Crochet Ornament Patterns

Free Knit and Crochet Christmas Patterns

Free Plastic Canvas Christmas Patterns

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Super Scary Crochet

2012-01-05T09:23:00.000-05:00

Mom and I were out doing some shopping for Christmas and I was able to redirect her from something I did not want for Christmas to Super Scary Crochet: 35 Gruesome Patterns to Sink Your Hook into which had been on my Christmas list. Mom was pleased to get me a gift I wanted and I was thrilled to add a book with some wonderful patterns for my Halloween box.

This was actually one of the hit gifts of Christmas Eve. Even people who are not interested in crochet passed around the book to look at the characters that Nicki Trench created for this new book. She covers the standard mummies, vampires, and werewolves expected in a horror book. However, evil tomatoes threw me. I suppose there was the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, but I tend to think of them as friendly. I am not sure what it says about my family, but the bunny murdered with a carrot stick was very popular.

If you enjoy the darker side of amigurumi this book might be the one for you. Patterns are written format and do not include charts or symbols. While I have not had a chance to make one yet, the patters appear to be clearly written. They look easy enough to follow. The author has added non-yarn items to some of the patterns to complete the outfits. I am looking forward to adding some new toys to my Halloween boxes this year.

Reindeer Ornament

2012-01-04T10:54:00.002-05:00

This reindeer is part of Amy Gaines' Woodland Christmas Ornament Pattern set that my husband bought for me as a Christmas present.

I did well in 2010 getting Christmas ornaments made to send with Christmas packages. This past year was more of a year of experimentation with different types of projects and I realized too late that I was not going to finish ornaments to include in my packages. New Year's Eve and day, I needed some small projects to work on so I decided to get a jump start on my ornament projects for 2012.

I did alter the pattern slightly. First I am still stash busting so I used Red Heart Super Saver instead of Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice. While I love the feel of Vanna's I am quite happy with the outcome in Red Heart. I also sewed premade pom poms. I have a miserable time making them and the premade ones were fine. I used safety eyes for the eyes and the nose. I avoid embroidery on the ami's when I can. Last, since I was going to use this as an ornament I chose not to add the legs. Since it is made with worsted weight, it is not a tiny or light ornament for the tree. If I were making it as an ami for a child's toy or as the basis for a finger puppet, I would include the legs. I decided for an ornament that I would try to keep it from being tangled in the branches.

If you arrived here looking for free Christmas patterns please check out the following pages:

Free Knit and Crochet Ornament Patterns

Free Knit and Crochet Christmas Patterns

Free Plastic Canvas Christmas Patterns

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

50 Fabulous Crochet Squares

2012-01-03T09:46:00.000-05:00

One of the many wonderful gifts I got for Christmas was a copy of 50 Fabulous Crochet Squares (Leisure Arts #4420) from my husband. I have been participating in more exchanges and one of the requests is often squares for friendship afghans. Having a variety of patterns to choose from keeps me interested in making them and makes the afghans more varied for the recipients receiving them.

I had not considered making an afghan square Christmas afghan for myself. However, having seen the Christmas Wreath square, the Catskill Mountain Rose, and a few others, I am tempted to think about starting one. I have quite a few other projects in my crochet cue and I have promised myself to dig out my knitting loom DVD's and see if I can master that this winter. I also need to learn to use the Knook I got for Christmas as I also received a couple of pattern books to try out with it. Therefore, the Christmas afghan may be a dream for the future. However, with more swaps and exchanges coming up, I am sure to put the squares in this book to good use.

Craft Coupons There is an App for That

2011-12-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

After my cell phone died, my DH and I decided to leave the dinosaur ages of phones and enter the world of smart phones. I had intended to buy a basic phone, but the current promotions actually made the smart phones an affordable alternative.

I have slowly been exploring what this phone can do. I was pleasantly surprised to find that some of the free apps available include ones for JoAnn Stores and Michaels. I frequent these stores regularly and always cut out the coupons or download the ones that come to my email box. The problem is that on occasion, I forget to bring the coupons with me or I make a stop that I had not planned on making and am without my coupons. The free app lets me download coupons targeted to smart phone users.

For instance, this week I had a paper coupon for JoAnn's that was a 40% off one non-sale item in the store. The sales clerk informed me the 50% coupon on my phone was only available to smart phone users. I had not missed it when I was cutting paper coupons. I was able to give my paper coupon to my shopping companion and use my smart phone one for myself.

I will still be cutting coupons and comparing the best offers available. I have not been able to find an app for AC Moore, which is the store I do most of my brick and mortar craft shopping at yet. I hope that that will change, as they are the coupons I most frequently forget.

This is just one more way to save a little cash and increase our craft dollars.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T08:40:00.000-05:00

Our family has our big celebration on Christmas Eve. We host an open house for both families that begins in the morning and ends sometime before Christmas Day. It is a tradition we love and look forward to every year.

My presents are wrapped. The cat afghan will be a late present I am afraid. Despite some late night efforts it just was not meant to be finished on time. Thankfully there are plenty of other gifts so I don't think it will be missed.

I wish all of you a safe, happy, and enjoyable Christmas!

Have you Ever Had the Project that Fought Back

2011-12-22T08:49:00.000-05:00

The Kitty Afghan has claws. I mean this thing is fighting back. I frogged three rows two days ago and completed 5 yesterday only to have to frog them all completing two more before bed time. I suspect it is that hurry up and screw up mentality that is kicking in, but it is so frustrating.

This project is taking on the aspects of the old samplers children were taught to do to improve their skills. Along this path, I have learned how to read a chart, improved techniques for changing colors, learned to use yarn bobbins, and now I have realized a real need to improve my technique for weaving in ends as this became one of the reasons for frogging yesterday. As I pulled out the last of the rows to get to my mistake, I pulled out a row underneath due to bad end weaving. I researched some better techniques yesterday and hopefully when I look at the two rows I completed last night the pattern is now correct. It is like the 12 Pains of Christmas Song, when one cat is off they all are off!

Thankfully, all the other Christmas presents are not only finished, but wrapped. DH finished the food shopping last night and my Aunt will be over to help us start prepping for the big Christmas Eve bash tomorrow. This afghan battle is not the end of the world. The recipient has plenty of other gifts waiting for her. A late Christmas gift is hardly the end of the world.

Countdown to Christmas Projects

2011-12-19T09:17:00.000-05:00

I finshed the snowman ami project and will post the pictures when I download them. DH has taken his early Christmas present to work already.

I spent Sunday pushing hard on the cat afghan, but I think the deadline is going to be close. Thankfully that is the last of the handmade presents I need to finish before Christmas Eve. Of course there is all the wrapping that needs to be done. I already have ideas for things I want to make for next year. That seems to be the way. I haven't finished one holiday before my mind is racing on to new projects.

Cats Afghan Work in Progress

2011-12-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

I have been blogging about this project for a while, but this is the first time I stopped to take a picture. I still do not take the best pictures with my phone, but I am able to take more pictures than before. This at least gives an idea of the mosaic pattern that the afghan is forming.

The pattern comes from a November/December 1997 Hooked on Crochet magazine. I am not sure if there is a free version available online. I tried doing this once without yarn bobbins and it was a disaster. My Mom kindly introduced me to the wonders of yarn bobbins and while this project has had its challenges the outcome has been more positive.

I am still coming down to the deadline. Not sure if this present will make the Christmas Eve finish, but it is going to be a close finish I am sure. I am sure I can have it done before the New Year.

Check out the Holiday Blogs and Special Event Blogs for More Patterns:

Afghan Patterns

Baby Blankets

Christmas

Halloween

Patriotic

Toy Themed Afghans

Valentines

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Tobogganing Snowmen the Second One is Complete

2011-12-15T13:39:00.002-05:00

I finished the second snowman from Tobogganing Snowmen pattern. This is the first instance where the Red Heart Kids Crayon might have been a better option than the yarn I was trying to destash. I was working on finishing off some bright colored Lily Sugar'n Cream for the earmuffs and the scarf. The Red Heart yarn might have been easier to manipulate, but it still worked out in the end.

The toboggan is finished and my Aunt will be by tomorrow to teach me the art of using glue to stiffen projects. Therefore, I should have this project completed for my husband to bring into his office next week. I am not too concerned about a rush as he plans to keep it in there all winter.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Tobogganing Snowmen Wednesday's Work in Progress

2011-12-14T09:59:00.003-05:00

My husband kindly purchased the Tobogganing Snowmen pattern for me with the idea that one would eventually make its way to his office. The first snowman is completed and the second one only needs his earmuffs to be done. I played with the toboggan pattern a bit, but now it only needs some stiffener and it will be finished.

I have never tried adding blush to an amigurumi before. I love the look. I will consider using this technique on future projects.

I am on a stash busting effort so I did not use the suggested Red Heart Kids Crayon. I actually worked on finishing off some bright colored Lily Sugar'n Cream scraps I had left over from another project.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Mini Christmas Crochet 20 to Make

2011-12-13T10:15:00.001-05:00

I loved the reindeer on the cover of Mini Christmas Crochet Twenty to Make and from seeing the release notice wanted to order this book. I even went so far as to put it on a wish list exchange on a crochet group. Thankfully, I had many Christmas presents to buy and put off buying it until I could preview it from the library.

I really wish designers would make a point of including yarn/thread descriptions in their book descriptions. The patterns in this book are beautiful, but they are thread patterns. In this case they use a slightly larger needle, a B, but if you find thread challenging to work with, this is not going to be the best option for you. Now you can make many of these patterns with sport or worsted weight yarn and end up with larger projects. However, with so many beautiful patterns written for the correct size yarn, I am not sure I would spend the money on this book and then work out all the challenges.

If you like thread crochet than there are some cute patterns in this book. If you are looking for quick ornaments and decorations to fill a stocking or for a swap this may be the book you are looking to buy. The book includes patterns for:

Ornaments:

Pine Cone
Christmas Wreath
Dove of Peace
Glimmering Snowflake
Christmas Stocking
Wishing Star
Christmas Bell
Christmas Bear Head

Amigurumi:

Reindeer
Good Fairy
Baby Penguin
Snowman
Little Angel
Christmas Cracker
Christmas Pudding
Tabletop Tree

Other:

Snowman Fridgie
Yuletide Coaster
Napkin Ring
Poinsettia Gift Topper

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

American Girl Poncho, Pants & Santa Hat

2011-12-12T09:30:00.000-05:00

This was one of the crocheted items for the doll donation we made to the Aztec Wishes toy drive. The pattern for the pants and poncho comes from the Abby, Allie and Abigail set available for purchase from Maggie's Crochet. The Santa Hat was made from a free pattern from a website that has disappeared, which I realized when I went to add the link this morning. A warning to all of us to copy the patterns we want when we see them. I have this one stored in plastic in a binder. I have made quite a few for gifts and donations from this pattern. I have to make sure I do not lose it.

I like this set of patterns because the pants and poncho are quick to work up. When I need a quick set for a donation or birthday this set can be done and provides a nice outfit for a gift.

This was a great stash busting project. It met my goal of using up both scraps and yarn I had on hand. The Red Heart Super Saver variegated was and the white on the Santa hat I had picked up at a Church sale. The rest was left overs of Bernat Super Value and Caron One Pounder.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Tree Skirt is Finished

2011-12-09T09:27:00.003-05:00

I used a free round ripple crochet tree skirt pattern found here on Crochetville to make my tree skirt. I have a beautiful cross-stitched one made by my sister, but I needed something I could trust with our newest Sheltie. Last year we used a sheet to protect the tree from a curious dog. This year I wanted a tree skirt that would be more dog friendly. She may be ready for the cross-stitch one to make a comeback at some point. For know we have something festive.

This pattern works up quickly. I used Caron One Pound yarn for my project. I am thinking about making a few of these for Christmas presents next year for a few people I know that do not have tree skirts.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

American Girl Jogging Suit Knitted

2011-12-07T12:51:00.002-05:00

Mom and I have been working on doll donation projects this Christmas. This outfit went to Aztec Wishes for their toy drive. The pattern comes from Fun to Knit Doll Clothes. Since she has made so many great outfits from this booklet, I bought Fun Fashions for Christmas so she has some new selections to play with in the coming year.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Doll Blanket for 18" Doll

2011-12-06T09:36:00.003-05:00

I needed a quick doll blanket to make for my doll donation project and found I had bought a pattern book I had forgotten from one of my vintage sources. This is a pattern called the "Dolls Big Granny Square Blanket" published in a Lion Brand leaflet Sweet Doll Afghans leaflet number 89602 promoting their Jamie yarn.

This was a great stash busting project for me. I used up scraps of blue Caron One Pound and Red Heart Super Saver variegated yarn I had left over from an afghan project. I have frogged a previous doll blanket I was making for a relative and will be using this pattern to complete the blanket I need for Christmas. The booklet includes patterns for doll blankets in traditional granny squares and a ripple pattern along with Barbie doll clothes. If you find a listing for this booklet, it is well worth picking up. I had originally purchased it for the Barbie patterns. However, the blankets have been of more use as they are designed for the larger dolls, not Barbie.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Doll Blankets and Pillow Patterns

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

I borrowed the The Complete Photo Guide to Crochet: *All You Need to Know to Crochet from the library to preview. This is now on my list of books to buy.

I wish I had this book when I was learning, but it also covers techniques and patterns for stitches I still want to learn. My learning style leans towards photographs over drawings or written descriptions. I do better when I can see what the author is trying to describe. This book provides up close illustrations of basic and more advanced techniques for readers to pursue.

For those interested in learning to read diagrams, this book explains the diagrams and then includes the diagrams along with written directions for the patterns in the book.

I am going to see if our library has the knitting book to preview. I have blogged at great lengths about my knitting challenges. However, I have not purchased a photograph book yet. It might be useful to try out The Complete Photo Guide to Knitting: *All You Need to Know to Knit
along with Teach Yourself VISUALLY Knitting if I can find them at the library first.

Knight Finger Puppet

2011-12-02T06:00:00.003-05:00

I purchased the Little People Play and Go Castle at Kohls for a December birthday present. I decided I would try to add some characters using Bizzy Crochet's free finger puppet patterns. The holiday finger puppets were a huge hit, so I thought adding some characters to the set would be fun. I also suspect they are small enough and flat enough they can fit right in the carrying case.

The knight was made using small amounts of Red Heart Super Saver for the grey and Caron One Pound for the yellow and red.

These finger puppets make great stocking stuffers or additions to other toy sets even if you don't make the crochet castles she has on her site. I have made several sets now for gifts and donations and they are quick and fun gifts for children.

Safety Barrel

2011-12-01T06:00:00.004-05:00

The Safety Barrel is the free pattern companion to the safety cone. This is another quick to make toy that you can add to a car set for a stocking stuffer or a donation for a child. I completed two of these while family and friends were watching the Patriots on Sunday. They went home with my Aunt for her grandsons. I am hoping to make some more before the deadline for a local toy donation.

As I mentioned with the safety cone another benefit is they are using up my I was able to use scraps of Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn left over from the Halloween and Thanksgiving projects. Instead of small little balls left over, I have cute toys for kids to enjoy.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Safety Cones

2011-11-30T06:00:00.005-05:00

I made more safety cones from a free pattern during the down time cooking at Thanksgiving. They work up very quickly and I am thinking about adding some to a toy drive at the local high school. They are very popular among my younger relatives with their toy cars. I sent these cones home with my Aunt for her grandsons.

I was able to use scraps of Lily's Sugar and Cream Yarn I had left over from making Halloween and Thanksgiving projects to make these. I like finding projects to use up the ends of the yarn I have left over from dishcloths and this was a perfect project. I do not often find a call for bright orange cotton yarn.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Visual Quick Tips Crochet

2011-11-29T06:00:00.001-05:00

I have picked up Crochet VISUAL Quick Tips in the store a few times and even my husband has asked me about it a few times in his quest to create a Christmas list. I finally was able to get a copy through the reserve at our library to review prior to purchase.

I really like this book for the advertised purpose, quick tips and reviews. The Crochet Answer Book and the The Knitting Answer Book have always been my small "go to" guides for quick answers. The drawback was they use drawings not photographs and I cannot always tell what the drawings indicate. While they cover more information, if I cannot understand it, the information is not terribly useful. Since I am trying to improve my basic knitting skills I may consider finding the Knitting VISUAL Quick Tips to help me with my journey. Now if they only started one for looming!!!

Knook Patterns and Instructions

2011-11-28T06:00:00.015-05:00

I have a The Knook Kit on Santa's Wish List and even took DH by the display in a couple of different stores to show him what they look like to make shopping easier. I noticed there are some new books out, but I thought I would start posting new free patterns and helpful hints as I located them, too. As always I will add more resources as I find them.

Patterns:

Butterfly Leisure Arts Free Download

Bobbles

Dishcloth

Granny Squares

Hat

Pig

Scarf free Leisure Arts Download

Square

Knooking Skills:

Binding Off

Casting On

Casting On Crochet Cast On

Casting On Long Tail Cast On

Decreasing

Garter Stitch

Increasing

Knit Stitch

Knitting

Leisure Arts Knook Videos

Purl Stitch

Purling

American Girl Blue Pilgrim Dress

2011-11-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

I have been making Thanksgiving items in what I call decoration colors and then items for kids trying to work in traditional colors. This dress is actually far more traditional in color than most of the black, brown, and grey that you see in decorations of Pilgrims for the holidays. My goal is to make some of each so that the kids can compare and contrast the two.

This dress was made adapting Darski's free Pilgrim pattern. This is one of my favorite 18" doll patterns, but for some reason, I was struggling with it this holiday. It could be that I made three dresses in a short period of time and had to rush to complete this one. I was not as happy with the finished look as I have been with previous attempts. However, I was pleased that I finally figured out my challenge with one area that was a result of my bad crocheting.

This project was completed using Red Heart and Caron One Pound yarn.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T06:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pictures may not be used without written permission

Wordless Wednesday The Thanksgiving Edition

2011-11-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

My Thanksgiving Favorites:

Turkey Knitted Dishcloth

2011-11-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

I am determined to keep my minimum knitting skills intact. When I saw this free turkey dishcloth pattern, it seemed like a good practice project to work on.

My skills are still in need of work. I hope that I can get some classes in at Good Sheep LYS that opened near us. Success depends her class schedule and my timetable matching, but there is hope. I was pleased to find I could still cast on, knit, and purl. I was even able to recover when I made a mistake. I was able to pull out a row instead of frogging the whole piece and starting again. This is what normally happens after a knitting mistake, which is why I tend to crochet more than I knit. I can recover from my crochet mistakes.

After finishing the turkey, I've started on the Christmas tree from Holiday Knit Dishcloths (Leisure Arts #5287) which I hope to finish soon.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Shop Amazon's Holiday Toy List

Turkey Bell

2011-11-21T06:00:00.021-05:00

This is last in my Thanksgiving bell series from Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85). Like the Pilgrim Hat bell this project combined the original pattern with a free Ken Doll Pilgrim pattern(for the turkey) to complete the project.

This project combine scraps that I picked up at various sales and left over Red Heart worsted weight and Caron One Pounder yarn. I am enjoying watching my bag of scrap yarn balls disappear as I work through these projects.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Pilgrim Hat Bell

2011-11-18T09:15:00.001-05:00

This is the second Thanksgiving bell in the set of three I made. This one combines the Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85)and a Ken free Pilgrim pattern for the hat.

This has been another project dedicated to using up scraps. The variegated yarn is Red Heart Super Saver left over from an afghan I made a while ago. The black is Caron One Pounder from a current afghan I am making for Christmas.

I made progress on my knitted dishcloth yesterday. I was actually able to pull out a row without having to start over from the beginning of the pattern. This is a rare happening for me. While I can pull out several rows of crochet and correct, one stitch can be the end of me with a basic knitted piece.

I am continuing to make progress on the last of the children's afghans I'm making for Christmas. I finished the chart for the first time through and am a couple of rows into the first repeat of the chart. Mom's suggestion of using yarn bobbins has been a huge help. I am using variety of brands since this afghan has lots of colors. The multiple sizes like the Boye Bulky Yarn Bobbins and the Boye Smaller Yarn Bobbins help to manage tangling and weight. I have picked up a few Susan Bates bobbins as well. I find they all work equally well. The important part is to have enough to make the changes you for the pattern.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Pilgrim Man

2011-11-17T12:27:00.000-05:00

This is the companion to the Pilgrim Woman I made from the Needlecraft for Today Sept/Oct 1984 magazine.

The pattern for the male was slightly more challenging as he had more details to complete than she did and his costume was more elaborate.

I like the face design of this older style, but I am still not crazy about the 2-D hands. It is something I will have to work on before making the next set of them.

I used up some of my Red Heart Super worsted and sport weight yarn for this project. I also had some scraps that helped finish it off.

This package should arrive by the end of the week.

Many of you that read this blog know knitting is not one of my stronger skills, but I took out my needles to work on a turkey dishcloth. A new yarn store offers knitting classes one town over and I am thinking about signing up after the holidays. I can do the basic knit/purl that allows me to finish something like a dishcloth. However, I can never figure out how to fix my mistakes, which I have some basic skills doing with crochet. I will say my wrists are far sorer than they ever are when I spend hours crocheting.

I am also planning on dusting off my looms, digging out the DVD's and books I have bought and working on learning looming in January. I have wanted to put some time into learning how, but keep getting distracted by crochet projects. I have promised this winter looming is a goal.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Cornucopia Bell

2011-11-16T08:33:00.003-05:00

This is the first bell I made for the Thanksgiving box using the Seasonal Bell pattern from the February 2001 edition of Hooked on Crochet (Number 85). For the first time I did not adapt the pattern very much. I left out a few items and I chose to sew instead of gluing as the pattern suggested.

I have been focusing on using up the small balls of yarn I have accumulated and this was a great project to help with that mission. I finally eliminated one color and several more are on their way out after finishing the other two bells in the set.

The Thanksgiving package finally went out this morning with my husband. I think it will require a rush to get it to its destination on time. I was pushing hard yesterday to finish the last Pilgrim and the 18" doll dress. Skipper, Barbie, and Stacie never did get outfits this year. I need to start those in the summer I suspect if I want to have them ready in time.

Now it is time to finish the race to get the Christmas and December birthday gifts finished I want to finish the adorable tree bell from this pattern set as well.

Free Holiday Patterns Available on the Following Blog Pages:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

St. Patrick's Day

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Stacey Trock Book Signing at the Good Sheep in Hudson, MA

2011-11-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, I am a huge fan of amigurumis. I have not had the chance to meet many designers personally although I have had the chance through the Internet. This could change as on December 10 Stacey Trock is coming to the Good Sheep in Hudson, Massachusetts on December 10. She is on a book tour promoting her latest book, Crocheted Softies: 18 Adorable Animals from Around the World and will be signing books during her visit from noon until two. The link to the Good Sheep's page will give you the storeowner’s contact information for more details. It is suggested you call in advance if you plan on attending.

If you don't live in this area Stacey Trock has a list of her current stops with promises to update posted on her blog.

I am looking forward to meeting her and learning a bit more about the craft.

Pilgrim Woman Amigurumi

2011-11-11T06:00:00.024-05:00

As part of an extra item in a recent color crochet swap, I got a Needlecraft for Today Sept/Oct 1984 magazine. People who follow this blog know I love old crochet magazines and patterns. As I flipped through the many fall toy patterns I could add to my holiday collections, the one that I knew would make it to my list for this year was the Pilgrim set.

This pattern is different from many of the modern ami's because the bottom is left open and closed by a round crochet disc to make a flat bottom that provides a stable means for the woman to stand. I actually like this feature as it provides some stability for the toy that I have to use creative stuffing with for the more rounded modern ami's. This pattern also used a triple crochet stitch to create a nose, which is a technique I have not seen used in many of my modern ami patterns. I liked the way it looks and may try it again in some of my other patterns.

I have finished the body of the 18" doll Pilgrim dress, so I have made significant progress on that leaving me three more doll dresses to complete. I have one Pilgrim to complete and one more to start. The last items should be the Thanksgiving bells. I think I have a shot of completing most of these items in time for the mailing deadline.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Chester the Turkey Boy

2011-11-10T06:00:00.007-05:00

I saw Chester the Turkey Boy while doing a search for Thanksgiving patterns to include in my Thanksgiving box. My husband kindly placed the digital order for him so I would have him in time to complete my Thanksgiving box.

This guy reminded me of the many Thanksgiving pageants I have seen over the years with the child dressed up as the Thanksgiving turkey. I do not know if that was the designer's intent, but it was my motivation for buying the pattern and wanting to make it.

When I approached the pattern I thought the challenge would be the head because it had the cover on it. That proved to be very workable. For some reason what I found hard were the directions for the wings. I suspect there was a disconenct on my part. I put aside the turkey after finishing the head and struggling with the wings and came back to so I could finish up my Thanksgiving box. This time I skipped the wings and went right to the body. The legs and body worked up quickly. The directions and pictures for the tail feathers used a similar technique to those of the wings, but for some reason I found them easier to understand. With the tail feathers completed the wings were no longer a major challenge.

I love this pattern and can see myself returning to make more Thanksgiving turkeys. This one will be headed off in the Thanksgiving box. I at least need one more for my house and I suspect my husband will want one for his office. While not likely to happen in time for this year, there is always next year.

Kelly Pilgrim Outfit

2011-11-09T06:00:00.002-05:00

I am finally back in the groove of making Thanksgiving items again. Even before the storm I had gotten distracted with Christmas afghan making. The storm pulled me completely off course. This project got me focused again.

This project is based on the free Halloween Cat Costume pattern. Instead of breaking for the legs I continued the dress down until I reached a length I was happy with for her size. I used Red Heart sports weight yarnand a D Hook to make the dress and the cap. The collar and apron were made using fingering yarn.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Winner of the RoseRed Design Contest/Giveaway ME

2011-11-08T05:00:00.011-05:00

When I heard about the giveaway over at RoseRed Designs I thought it was for multiple people. I could not believe the generous gifts. I must confess I entered for the hooks, but the yarn, the beautiful bag, and cup are amazing as well. I love rose themed stuff, so I am one happy camper.

I reassured my husband when he saw the large box that I really had won a contest, I had not ordered something and forgot to mention it.

I already have plans for some of the yarn and I am researching ideas for the rest.

I was not the first person chosen in this contest. The lesson is if you enter a contest, make sure you give the right email address and respond when you hear back. While I feel bad for the person that lost out. I am not feeling at all guilty as I try out my new crochet hooks.

300 Classic Blocks for Crochet Projects

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

I had heard a good deal about 300 Classic Blocks for Crochet Projects but had not seen a copy of it to look over in the stores. When I realize our library loan system had it I put in on reserve.

I like the wide selection of patterns. I thought the pictures could have been better. The attitude was a bit much at times. The author's assertion that one "had" to learn to read symbols seemed a bit much. I respect the concept of symbol crochet. However, for a variety of reasons, it is not my first choice in patterns. I do find it easier to follow written directions than symbols. I know many feel strongly about the subject, but we all process information in different ways and not respecting that seemed a bit arrogant to me.

One formatting issue I loved was the lines between the written directions. While the author may not be a fan of written directions, the person who formatted the book, loves those of us who do use them.

If I come across an inexpensive copy of this book, I might consider adding it to my collection as I am doing more blocks for others. However, I am not ready to put it on my must purchase list.

Crochet Techniques Stitches Patterns

2011-11-02T09:19:00.000-04:00

I have been trying to avoid buying books on impulse or rejecting buying them because I'm afraid they won't be what I wanted and will sit on a shelf unused. As a result, I have been borrowing more crochet books from the library to preview when they are available. Crochet!: Techniques*Stitches*Patterns is a book I have flipped through several times, but had never had the chance to really explore in depth prior to my reservation at the library.

This book starts with beginner techniques and works its way through more advanced techniques. What intrigued me was the introduction to bags. As many of the swaps I am engaging in asks for bags, it is a talent I need to learn and have resources to improve on as I learn the basics. As a visual learner, I love that they use photographs instead of drawings. Everyone learns differently, but I learn better, when I can see what the crocheter is supposed to be doing.

This book also addresses symbol crochet giving a photograph and accompanying symbol representation in the index. The stitch section of the book also includes symbols to introduce and encourage readers to learn crochet symbols.

While I have several stitch guides and crochet guides in my collection, I am considering adding this one for its stitch guide and the instruction on symbol reading.

WIP Tuesday

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Well it is voting day here in our fine City so I am not sure how much crocheting I will get done, but I have plenty to do.

I am working on a crochet mosaic cat afghan that I am loving. I have a granny stripe afghan started for my Mom that may end up being a birthday gift. I am getting myself organized and motivated to finish my Thanksgiving box now that my heat is back on. I have started a holiday swap at Crochetville so I have a couple of things to plan and one on the hook for that as well. I just need to pull patterns and make some choices. I am also waiting to hear back from my swap partner about a few other items.

I will say after crocheting in the cold without heat I have come to appreciate the Susan Bates Bamboo handled hooks over my collection of metal hooks. The metal hooks made my cold hands even colder, but the wood actually generated a bit of warmth as my hands slid over them. I am thinking about adding some of the Caron Tulip Bamboo hooks, adding to my Clover Bamboo collection, or maybe even branching out into Rosewood. With sales and coupons, I always have chances to experiment.

Crochet Bags

2011-10-24T09:40:00.000-04:00

I have been gifted or picked up several books from this series, so I decided to preview Crochet Bags!: 15 Hip Projects for Carrying Your Stuff when I realized it was available at the library. I have been participating in more swaps lately and bags seem to be a standard project.

I liked the introductions. I have been working with free patterns that assume some level of experience with bag making. Mine is all trial and mostly error. This book fills in some of the huge holes that exist for me. It introduces linings and some tips on adding details. It would have been nice to have a tutorial on working with handles since they did do such a detailed introduction to all the crochet stitches.

What I liked about the patterns were the boxed instructions. I found them easy to read and follow. I like this formatting style for patterns.

What I did not find were the bags I was seeking. While there were a couple of cute patterns, they would not work for the projects I needed. I still need to find a good tote bag book.

American Girl Doll Mrs. Claus

2011-10-20T06:00:00.010-04:00

Last year I posted about the Santa dress, but I must say after thinking about it the outfit seems more like a Mrs. Claus outfit. The dress is based on Darski’s free Pilgrim outfit found on Crochetville. This has become my go to pattern for American Girl Dolls as I can change it around for different looks and still work it up quickly when I need something that I know I can complete. The dress is made using Caron One Pound yarn. I do not know what brand the white trim is because I keep picking it up at Church sales. I have never had to buy any at the stores.

The Santa hat was also made from free Santa Hat pattern that I have used several times now. The person who asked for the outfit requested that I use red Bernat Happy Holidays yarn instead of the matching Caron for the hat.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Thanksgiving Finger Puppets

2011-10-19T06:00:00.005-04:00

I love simple quick projects to make to keep kids entertained. These worked up nicely as a set.

If you are interested in making them you can see the following blog pages:

Male Pilgrim

Female Pilgrim

Turkey

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Turkey

2011-10-18T06:00:00.002-04:00

I finished the turkey from Crochet Village's Fall Visitors pattern. The turkey was made using Red Heart Super Saver for the body and legs, Bernat Super Value for the hat and bow tie and a variety of scraps for the feathers. I used the colored saftey eyes that I found for the first time at Joann Fabrics. So far I have only been able to get the brown eyes. I am hoping they expand the offerings to other colored eyes in the future.

I am working another turkey pattern. I have hit a snag with the wings. I may just create a solution as I love the rest of the pattern and the wings are not the make or break item for the turkey. I have a couple of Pilgrim items to make and a considerable number of doll clothes to finish this package. I am hoping to have this package ready to mail around Halloween.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Sunset Throw

2011-10-17T06:00:00.013-04:00

I finished my third Christmas afghan. This is the Sunset Throw pattern found in Crochet World August 2011. I fell in love with the colors and started to hunt down Red Heart's Melonberry every time I had a coupon or I found Red Heart Super Saver on sale. I have enough left over, that I am hoping to make a doll blanket in matching colors for the child's 18" doll. No guarantees that the doll blanket will not end up a birthday instead of a Christmas present, as I still need to make one more Christmas full sized afghan.

Check out the Holiday Blogs and Special Event Blogs for More Patterns:

Afghan Patterns

Baby Blankets

Christmas

Halloween

Patriotic

Toy Themed Afghans

Valentines

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

I Love Yarn Day

2011-10-14T08:50:00.002-04:00

Come join the members of Crochetville for I Love Yarn Day.

Since I finished the turkey from the Fall Visitors pattern at Crochet Village last night I needed a new project for I Love Yarn Day. So, today I will be working on Chester the Turkey Boy and finishing up a Mrs. Claus dress for the 18" doll during I Love Yarn Day. I plan to check in on the fun at Crochetville during the day, too.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Turkey Amigurumi

2011-10-13T10:23:00.004-04:00

I finished another project for my Thanksgiving project. Gobble Gobble is a free pattern available from the Bitter Sweet Blog.

This pattern had an interesting pattern for the wings that I had not seen before. I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn for the body and Caron One Pound and some scraps for the wings and details.

I started the Turkey from the Fall Visitor’s Pattern from Crochet Village. I like the body of this turkey better than the first one I made. This might be the basis for the combo turkey I want to make.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Turkey Finger Puppet

2011-10-12T11:29:00.004-04:00

This is the final in my set of finger puppets for Thanksgiving unless I find some new patterns or end up needing to make more. This turkey also comes from Almost Unschoolers. While these are being mailed, I love having child friendly toys and decorations when we are having children over for the holidays or we are visiting others with kids. Holiday toys can always be packed away with the decorations and bring back fond memories when the toys come out again the next year.

I altered this pattern slightly by making the finger slightly larger and using plastic saftey eyes since the head ended up separated from the rest of the puppet. The body is made with Red Heart Super Saver and the details were made from scraps of Caron One Pound.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Pilgrim Female Finger Puppet

2011-10-11T11:15:00.002-04:00

Thanks to the generosity and hard work done by the homeschool Mom at Almost Unschoolers in designing and offering her patterns for free I have a set of three Thanksgiving finger puppets to put in my Thanksgiving box. I posted about the Pilgrim Man last week and will be posting about the Turkey soon. The pattern for the Pilgrim Female can be found here. While I buy quite a few patterns, I also do depend on the generosity of those who donate their designs and I try to remember to thank them for their gift. This allows me to make and do more.

If you have experience with amigurumi you can use these patterns as a base and play with them. I adapted the hands and as mentioned made the bases a bit larger. I used Caron Simply Soft for the face and hands. I used Caron One Pound for the dress and Lustersheen for the eyes and mouth. While the pattern did not require it I used Red Heart Sport yarn for the hat and apron as I thought worsted weight would be too heavy for the size of the puppet.

This couple makes a great quick project if you are looking to have some fun toys around for Thanksgiving.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Pilgrim Man Finger Puppet

2011-10-07T05:00:00.001-04:00

I needed a break from my 18" doll projects so I decided I would work on something small for my Thanksgiving box. I opened my holiday binder and found some free Thanksgiving finger puppets. You can find the Pilgrim Man Finger Puppet at Almost Unschoolers.

I used Caron Simply Soft for his face and hands. The black was Caron One Pound and the white was Red Heart Sports yarn. The details sewn with Red Heart Lustersheen.

When my Mom used to host large Thanksgiving feasts, my younger sister and I used to try to find activities to keep the large number of younger relatives busy. The turkey balloon races are still spoken of among family members. I only wish I had known how to crochet back then, as these types of toys would have been great to have to entertain the children with each year.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

American Girl Doll Pilgrim

2011-10-06T09:26:00.004-04:00

I finished one of the doll dresses I needed for my doll project this weekend. My Aunt took it home with her so I only need to finish two more.

This pattern is adapted from a free pattern you can find the link for on the Thanksgiving page. I used Red Heart Super Saver grey heather for the dress and I liked the texture and the color it provided. I used Caron One Pound yarn for the cap and apron. The worsted weight was too heavy for the cuffs so I used Red Heart Sport yarn. I changed the original pattern by adding cuffs, found in the free Barbie pattern on the Thanksgiving page and altering the collar.

While I made this one in the traditional colors people expect for Thanksgiving, I also want to make the dress in colors that are more authentic. Pilgrims did not just wear black, grey, and brown. The colors people often associate with Pilgrims were considered formal colors for Church. Pilgrims did dress in colors including red.

Barbie and American Girl Doll Free Patterns are listed on my blog at these locations:

Barbie Crochet and Sewing Page

Barbie Knitting Page

Ken Page

Kelly/Skipper Page

American Girl Doll Crochet and Sewing

American Girl Doll Knitting

Additional Doll Patterns also Available on the Holiday Blogs:

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

The Benefits of Other's House Cleaning

2011-10-05T08:48:00.000-04:00

My Aunt and I have been working on 18" doll projects. She recently started cleaning out some craft bins looking for patterns she has not used since her granddaughter outgrew the dolls. Sunday I received a baggie full of 18" crochet patterns that she no longer can use.

In the late 1990's Fibre Craft published a series of 18" doll patterns for the Springfield doll. I had seen some of these patterns listed on various vintage sites, but never purchased them because many of the sites do not list the Springfield portion of the description, just Fibre Craft as the publisher. With the number of dolls they produce, I am never sure if these patterns are produced specifically for the 18" dolls. Now I know. They make the Springfield doll and in the late 1990's they actually printed a series of patterns for the dolls. I guess it worked out for the best. Had I know I would have purchased them and now I would have duplicates. My lack of knowledge resulted in a windfall of new free patterns to make clothes for family and donations.

The booklets I was given from the Springfield Collection are:

Sweet Dreams FCM486
Sunday Best FCM479
Sweater Trio FCM494
The Weekender FCM493
Crochet Matching Hats and Purses FCM492

Red Heart:
Dolly and Me Book 1436

Bernat:
Best Friends 530112

I love passing patterns on to my Mom and Aunt. This was an unexpected treat in return.

We Have a Winner

2011-10-04T09:29:00.000-04:00

The Fashion Doll Leaflet Giveaway has ended and Mary Whitney has won. Congratulations to our winner. I hope she enjoys making the Barbie clothes.

I contacted her by email and I hope to hear from her soon so I can mail her the prize. Thanks to everyone who entered and worked through the challenges of Rafflecopter with me.

Thanksgiving Lovey

2011-10-03T10:58:00.002-04:00

After the success with the Halloween Lovey, I decided to adapt the pattern from September/October 2011 Crochet Today to make a Thanksgiving version.

I could not find colors I liked in cotton so I used up Red Heart Super Saver, Bernat Super Value, Caron One Pounder, and some unidentified scraps I picked up at Church sales.

The Pilgrim hat and turkey patterns are free Ken doll patterns, the links for them are located on the Thanksgiving page. I have a variety of options for my Christmas Lovey. I am not sure what patterns I will use for the objects. I have Christmas cotton so that should not be an issue.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Butterfly Crochet Dishcloth

2011-09-30T06:00:00.001-04:00

Just a reminder if you have not entered the Fashion Doll Leaflet Giveaway for a Leisure Arts crochet leaflet you can enter here.

This dischloth was made using the Butterfly Crochet Dishcloth #171 from Maggie Weldon's dishcloth challenge. My in-laws fly in from out of state for Christmas so we generally give gift cards so they don't have to ship too much when they head home. I still like to add some home made items. My MIL collects butterflies and I found two dishclothes in Maggie's contest.

This has been another stash busting Christmas project. I used up some Lily Sugar & Creme I had on hand. Although I will confess I bought some Bernat Handicrafter at the AC Moore sale over the weekend to replace it. Purple is a popular color for my spring projects.

If you arrived here looking for free home patterns please see the following blog pages:

Crochet and Knit Dishcloth Patterns

Kitchen, Bath, and Home

Towel Topper Patterns

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Pictures may not be used without written permission.

Pilgrim Turkey

2011-09-29T09:28:00.003-04:00

Just a reminder if you have not entered the Fashion Doll Leaflet Giveaway for a Leisure Arts crochet leaflet you can enter here.

I finished the Pilgrim Turkey pattern I received in the Crochetville Kit Swap. I mentioned previously that this turkey was not created in the traditional amigurumi circle style. Instead, the pattern directions instruct one to create two pieces and sew the two pieces together. I think I will keep the details for future patterns, but work on a more traditional amigurumi body. I love the hat, the bib, and the other features. I will be including them on future turkeys. I may even try the flat body again.

The turkey was made using Red Heart Super Saver I received as part of the kit swap. They eyes are Darice 9mm Safety Eyes. The turkey is finished with 5/8" black and white ribbon. I might try a narrower ribbon next time to make it easier to tie.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

Sometimes It's Easy to be Nice

2011-09-27T09:01:00.001-04:00

I was shopping the second day of the AC Moore yarn sale, yesterday. I had gathered two copies of the $5 and $10 coupons, along with some percent off coupons and put them in a plastic baggie so they would not get lost in my purse. When I was finished, shopping my companion used the $10 coupon and I used the $5. This left me with a complete set. Since the sale was over that night and we were near closing time, it was clear I was not going to be using the other two. There was a woman in line behind me with a significant pile of items. I asked her if she had any of sale coupons. She did not seem pleased with the question and I realized people have taunted me with the need to be more diligent in picking up the flyers myself. Therefore, I quickly asked her if she would like some coupons and offered her the two I had. She took the one that applied to her purchase and left the one she could not use for the next customer. She was quite pleased at her $10 savings. I know I have forgotten my coupons more than once and every so often, someone is kind enough to share. Especially on the last day of a sale when you are not likely to be back, it is hardly a sacrifice to share with a stranger.

I was pleased with my purchases. I was able to try out the Clover Soft Touch Hooks. I bought an E to use with my doll projects. I will write more about my experience later. I finished up the last of my purple cotton so I picked up some Bernat Handicrafter on sale to replace it. The last time AC Moore had Red Heart on sale I picked up the Red Heart Super Saver Carrot for the first time. I liked the way it looked for my fall projects, so I picked up more skeins to help with my Thanksgiving projects. They had a good bargain on Caron One Pounders and this time allowed me to use my coupon in addition to the sale. I also picked up some green Bernat Holiday yarn to make a doll dress.

It was a great trip and I am glad I was able to help someone else save some money as well.

The Dino Donation Set

2011-09-26T06:00:00.001-04:00

I wanted a picture of the set together before they headed out the door. This shot was taken Wednesday before I packaged them to drop them off on Thursday. I am going to try to get a few more made to donate before Christmas, but I have a heavy list of other projects due before then. We will have to see what happens. I am glad to have met this goal.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.

T-Rex

2011-09-23T06:00:00.009-04:00

This was the last dino I had time to make before the deadline. I thought I might finish a Pteranodon. However, he still needed a beak and wings at bedtime. Therefore, I dropped off four dinos yesterday. The donations were looking thin so I am glad I made the time to make them.

This ami was made using Planet June's Tyrannosaurus Rex Pattern that I received for my birthday as part of her Dinosaurs Set 2. I have a T-Rex pattern as part of Gourmet Crochet's Amigurumi Dinosaurs that I have made several times. After making both patterns I can say they both have their strengths and weaknesses for my style of ami making. I like Planet June's one piece body and tail. However, I was not crazy about the bottom legs. I do think her smaller arms were better than those of the Gourmet Crochet pattern. They fit better. The heads are kind of a toss up with Planet June's having slightly more shaping to it.

I have already adapted the Gourmet Crochet pattern to avoid sewing the head on once. I may incorporate the tail design and make a hybrid of the two in the future, as T-Rex seems to be a popular request among the children in the family.

As far as my stash busting goal this actually finished off one of the smaller balls of Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I had a trash bag full of yarn balls and this stash busting has reduced it by a third so far. I am trying to remember to look into the bag before reaching for a full skein to start my smaller projects.

If you arrived here looking for free toy patterns please see the following pages:

Dinosaurs and Dragons

Knit and Crochet Food Patterns Great for Play Food

Hello Kitty

Crochet and Knit Puppets

Crochet Amigurumi Animals and Stuffed Animal Free Patterns

Knit Amigurumi and Stuffed Toys

Crochet and Knit Amigurumi and Other Dolls

Knit and Crochet Toys

Teddy Bear Patterns and Clothes

Halloween Page

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Valentines

Easter

Graduation

Patriotic

Pictures may not be used without permission.